Unwanted Greasiness: 10 Tips to Beat Oily Hair That Every Girl Needs

Don't You Hate Oily Hair?

I don't know about you, but oily hair drives me crazy. There was a time when I just didn't know how to properly manage my hair and it would become oily as a result.
Whether you wear hair extensions often or not, oily hair can ruin a perfect hairstyle. When your tresses are weight down by oil, it is a struggle to achieve volume; your ponytails might appear a tad too sleek.
Ladies, it's time to step up our hair game. If you find yourself always grabbing the dry shampoo and a hat before you leave the house, this article is for you!

Defeating Oily Hair

The first step to defeating oily hair is understanding why it is occurring and its origin.
The overproduction of sebum from your scalp is typically the culprit for oily hair. Sebum is naturally occurring oil that we need to keep our scalp healthy and moisturized. Overproduction of sebum from the scalp may be a genetically inherited conditioner for you, but certain environmental and hormonal factors can encourage the excess oil as well.
After thorough research, I’ve compiled a list of 10 tips and tricks to beat greasy hair.

#1 Stop Washing Your Hair Every Day

I know, but before you call me crazy hear me out. I know you probably rush to the shower to shampoo your greasy tresses to relieve yourself for the oil, but what you may not realize is that excessive shampooing makes the problem worse.
Over washing your hair strips your strands of nourishing natural oils. As a result, your sebum glands are stimulated to over produce causing oil to release onto your hair.
Don’t shampoo more often to try to combat oil, because you are making the problem worse!

#2 Use Clarifying Shampoo

Use a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo once a month to deep clean your hair of built-up oil and product.
Using a shampoo that contains sulfate and strips your hair due to the harsh acids in sulfate.
Sulfates can encourage excess oil, similar to over washing your hair. Here are some great sulfate-free shampoo options:
SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
Infused with raw shea butter and essential oils, this shampoo leaves hair clean, light, and moisturized without the extra grease. Best of all, it retails for $7.99!
Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo
This hair cleansing cream clarifies to remove copper, iron, hard water minerals and product build-up on all hair types. Infused with fruit acids to add shine, it refreshes your oily tresses!

#3 Use Dry Shampoo

During those in-between wash days, try using a dry shampoo to absorb excess oil.
Good dry shampoo should absorb excess oil without leaving a white film or a strong scent. Dry shampoos come in powders and sprays; both work efficiently.
Here are some suggestions:
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry ShampooThis dry shampoo is perfect for light or dark hair and absorbs oil all day. Unlike most dry shampoos, Living Proof Ph.D.’s Triple-Action Cleaning Technology neutralizes odors and reduces surface friction of the hair.
This dry shampoo comes in an aerosol spray bottle for easy application.

#4 Keep Your Hands Out Of Your Hair

I have to admit I suffer from Hands In Hair Syndrome, but you have to try your best to resist for the sake of your hair!
Our hands are full of oil, dirt, and bacteria! It doesn’t matter how often you Purell your hands, you don’t want to transfer all those oils and dirt onto your hair. No hair-flipping (unless you got your new Private Label Extensions bundles in, I'd allow it), no finger twirling and absolutely no running your fingers through your hair.
If you do it subconsciously, try putting your hair up in a bun to avoid the crime.
Here are some cute bun hairstyles for inspiration!

#5 Use little to No Hair Product

If you have fine, oily hair, you should avoid excess product like the plague.
Don’t use too much gel, crèmes or serums in your fine tresses. If you have a good conditioner, you may not need to add a product to your hair to make it moisturized.
If you have curly hair, try using a light curl defining crème to keep your curls looking tight and defined all day.

#6 Limit Brushing

Excessive brushing stimulates more oil products and pulls previous oil over the hair shaft.
If you already have greasy hair, this will be a disaster.
Try your best to keep brushing and combing to a minimum, as excessive brushing will merely exacerbate the problem.

#7 Curls For The Girls!

Have you ever noticed that curls look better on dirty hair?
When all else fails, try using your big barrel curling iron to add texture and volume to your limp and oily hair.
Curling your hair also encourages it to stay off the scalp, preventing oil from weighing it down.

#8 Serum > Oil

If you depend on products to get your curly hair straight, you should avoid using oils during the blow dry and straightening process.
Oil molecules are typically large and heavy, making your hair stiff. Even if you have highly-textured hair, it is never a good idea to use excessive oils to straighten hair. Instead, try using a silicone-based serum.
I know we’ve heard terrible things about silicone, but they are ideal for straightening hair.
Silicones block out humidity and unwanted moisture from penetrating the hair shaft and cause unwanted frizz or reversion. Silicone also adds and natural luster without weighing the hair down and causing it to appear oily or dirty.

#9 Dry Oil

If you’ve never heard of dry oil, you aren’t living your best life.
Dry oil is typically a silicone-based oil blend that adds weightless moisture and shine. I love to use them when my straight hair is looking a little dull, but I don’t want to add oil to weigh my hair down.
Dry oil also infuses your tresses with nutrients that encourage hair growth.
Here are some of my favorite picks:Macadamia Dry Oil Micromist
OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Weightless Healing Dry Oil

#10 Deep Condition

Deep conditioning your hair once a week will provide your locks with the nutrients and moisture it needs to be balanced and healthy.
Aveda’s Pure Abundance Deep Clay Mask is an excellent option for those with fine, oily hair but still want to replenish with moisture.

Let's Overcome Oily Hair

We all know how frustrating oily hair can be but there are ways to overcome it.
It's always important to know the cause of a problem in order to solve it or better manage it. I hope the tips provided will help you to successfully conquer your issues with oily hair.
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave them down below in the comment section and let's kick this thing once and for all!